COFFIN, WALTER (1784 - 1867), colliery pioneer

Born 1784, the second son of Walter Coffin, tanner, of Bridgend, Glamorganshire. While prospecting in the Rhondda valley for bark, he became interested in coal, and in 1806 bought Dinas Rhondda farm, opening a coal level there in 1807, which he connected with Gyfeillon (see Griffiths, Richard) by tramroad, thus enabling his coal to reach the canal at Treforest. In 1810 he took a mining lease on other lands at Dinas, and sank pits there in 1815 and 1832 - he worked 'Rhondda no. 1' and 'Rhondda no. 3' seams. Though a director of the Taff Vale Railway in 1836, he opposed its extension up the Rhondda valley, having no opinion of the future prospects of that valley and believing that its output could be adequately handled by tram and canal.

From 1852 to 1857 he was M.P. for Cardiff. He died at Llandaff Court 15 February 1867.

Coffin was a man of advanced views in theology. His father was the sole surviving trustee of the 'Old Meeting' at Bridgend when (soon after 1806) dissensions arose there; and Coffin was in this way enabled in 1816 to secure the election of John James (1779 - 1864) as pastor - the Old Meeting thus becoming Unitarian. At Dinas, too, Coffin's influence afforded Unitarianism an opportunity for a time, the works medical officer, Evan Davies, being a supporter of that cause.

Author

• Emeritus Professor Robert Thomas Jenkins, (1881 - 1969)

Sources

• O. Morgan, History of Pontypridd and Rhondda Valleys (1903), 184-93
• Elizabeth Phillips, A history of the pioneers of the Welsh coalfield (1925), 155-7
• E. D. Lewis, unpublished thesis on the Industrial Development of the Rhondda Valleys (at N.L.W.)
• Hanes Eglwysi Annibynnol Cymru, ii, 199
• Yr Ymofynnydd, 1931, 121
• Caroline E. Williams (ed.), A Welsh family from the beginning of the 18th century (London 1885)
• W. R. Williams, The parliamentary history of the principality of Wales, from the earliest times to the present day, 1541-1895 (Brecknock 1895)

Further Reading

• Wikipedia Article: Walter Coffin

Additional Links

• Wikidata: Q7964582

Published date: 1959

Article Copyright: http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/